Lions Tour/Wellington 6 The Lions 23: A step in the right direction for the Lions, if not a giant one. Taming their fellow Lions from Wellington up front was one thing, pressing home the initiative was another, and a lack of precision prevented them from obtaining the resounding win this shadow Test side would ideally have wanted.
Still, the tour is back on track to a degree with a win, and there were clear signs that the increased intensity on the training ground - as evidenced by a reputed punch-up between John Hayes and Gordon Bulloch - bore immediate benefit.
Reacting like someone intent on making a statement after four weeks on a coiled spring, Neil Back required less than a minute to make the first follow-up tackle of the game from the kick-off and win the ball on the deck.
It set the tone for a much more intense effort at the breakdown, Lions forwards hitting the contact area lower, harder and in greater numbers.
The Lions' pack also took it to Wellington in the scrums, attacking their line-out and not only ensuring a steadier stream of ball from their own throw but also unveiling a line-out maul that has largely been under wraps heretofore. It was then that the problems started, and the biggest fly in the ointment of all was the performance of Jonny Wilkinson, who still looks some way short of his best.
Given so much go-forward ball, there was a lack of creativity and precision. True, the rain slanted and swirled into the Westpac Stadium on a foul night nore suited for a forward effort, but even here the intensity did drop off in a messy, error-strewn second-half and all of this has to be balanced against a Wellington pack that didn't have the power up front of the Maoris.
Nonetheless it was an impressive forward effort by and large, which has probably cemented some starting Test places. Not the least of these is Shane Byrne, whose accuracy in the setpieces must give him every chance of starting against the All Blacks in Christchurch a week on Saturday. He wasn't making huge charges or big hits around the pitch - then again neither was Steve Thompson to any great effect last Saturday against the Maoris - but he contributed tidily in open play and prominently enough at the rucks and mauls, once seemingly driving a Lions' maul 10 yards forward almost single-handedly.
And all this from a 34-year-old who only made an overdue Test debut in Bucharest four years ago because Keith Wood and co were on Lions duty in Australia. An incredible story if it comes to pass.
Gethin Jenkins, man-of-the-match in the eyes of midweek assistant coach Gareth Jenkins and many others, gave a barnstorming display which has assuredly nailed down the number one jersey, and Julian White gave Joe McDonnell a serious hurry-up in the scrums.
By keeping his infamous temper in check, Danny Grewcock's physicality may have earned him the nod in this possible fight-off with Ben Kay to partner Paul O'Connell in the secondrow. The backrow were possibly even the best unit of all, with Simon Easterby's intelligence and sharpness at the breakdown showing he was more than worth his new-found status as a Lion. And he also gives a better number six line-out option than anyone else in the squad. Could be a dark horse for Test action at some point yet.
Admittedly, Wilkinson wasn't helped by the unusually erratic passing of Dwayne Peel, but presumably this was a blip and once again the Welsh scrumhalf maximised his cunningly used snipes and breaks.
But Wilkinson, with so little rugby under his belt, clearly cannot be at his optimum match sharpness yet and it showed. Targeted in defence and for a few late hits, his shoulders and tackling stood up well, but his running and distribution game was unsure and it's curious that he is the only one of the Lions' outhalves who is kicking long down the middle as a limited percentage play.
The two tries were the product of opportunism by Peel, through a big gap in a line-out, and Gareth Thomas, off a turnover. There were even a couple of missed penalties that Wilkinson would normally nail with his eyes closed.
Gavin Henson ran well if a little diagonally, but when Brian O'Driscoll afterwards happened to mention trust in a midfield partnership, especially defensively, you wondered if he was thinking about the gifted, strong-running, big-booted, big-tackling but quiet, enigmatic Welshman.
Somehow, the Henson-O'Driscoll axis doesn't seem to have quite gelled yet, even if Henson's boot is a valuable extra commodity, and if it is to be the Test partnership it probably won't be getting any more game time now. You also wonder why Shane Horgan or Tom Shanklin haven't been looked at here more, as an alternative target runner in the middle.
Gareth Thomas was clearly getting to the pitch of his new surrounds at the start and was once beaten on the outside by Ma'a Nonu.
But there's no shame in that, and his presence and physicality grew as the night wore on, culminating in his try and that trademark salute to his fellow Cardiff City football fans.
He looks a shoe-in, Josh Lewsey too, and most probably another favoured son, Jason Robinson, who like Thomas could probably do with another run. But a bit like another twinkletoed match-winner Shane Williams, it was often glory or bust with Robinson, and he did give out a few passes with red crosses on them.
The Lions were often one wrong decision, misplaced pass or knock-on away from scores. Wilkinson and Henson missed early drop goals either side of a Wilkinson penalty, though he then missed one after a sharp intrusion by Thomas. A Jimmy Gopperth penalty was a brief interregnum to the Lions' dominance, but Martin Corry was held up inches short with four backs outside him.
Other times, for all their continuity, the Lions ran out of numbers through having to commit more to recycling the ball before finally Peel dummied inside the rumbling but impressive Wellington number eight Thomas Waldron through the resultant line-out gap, reverse passing for the aware Corry to send Gethin Jenkins over.
It seemed that an exchange of penalties between Gopperth and Wilkinson would be the end of the scoring as the ball became slippier until Thomas profited from a Wellington handling error, Ben Kay's pick-up and Jones' transfer to step inside and chase his own kick ahead for the try.
That put some kind of respectability on the winning margin, though it should have been more.
Scoring sequence: 8 mins: Wilkinson pen 0-3; 24 mins: Wilkinson pen 0-6; 28 mins: Gopperth pen 3-6; 36 mins: Jenkins try, Wilkinson con 3-13; 40 mins: Gopperth pen 6-13; (half-time 6-13); 45 mins: Wilkinson pen 6-16; 77 mins: Thomas try, Wilkinson con 6-23.
WELLINGTON: S Paku; L Fa'atau, M Nonu, R Tu'ipulotu, R Kinikinilau; J Gopperth, P Weepu; J McDonnell (capt), M Schwalger, T Fairbrother, L Andrews, R Filipo, K Ormsby, B Herring, T Waldrom. Replacements: K Thompson for Herring (half-time), C Jane for Kinikinilau (68 mins), J Purdie for Filipo (71 mins), J Schwalger for Fairbrother (78 mins).
BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: J Lewsey (London Wasps, England); G Thomas (Toulouse, Wales), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, Ireland, capt), G Henson (Ospreys, Wales), J Robinson (Sale Sharks, England); J Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons, England), D Peel (Llanelli, Wales); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues, Wales), S Byrne (Leinster, Ireland), J White (Leicester Tigers, England), D Grewcock (Bath, England), B Kay (Leicester Tigers, England), S Easterby (Llanelli, Ireland), N Back (Leicester Tigers), M Corry (Leicester Tigers, England). Replacements: S Jones (Clermont Auvergne, Wales) for Henson (63 mins), S Horgan (Leinster, Ireland) for Lewsey (68 mins), M Stevens (Bath, England) for White, C Cusiter (Borders, Scotland) for Peel (both 73 mins). Replacements not used: G Bulloch (Glasgow, Scotland), P O'Connell (Munster, Ireland), R Hill (Saracens, England).
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand).
Otago name strong line-up
Despite missing three tight five forwards who are in the current All Blacks' squad, Otago coach Wayne Graham has been able to name a side featuring 13 Super 12 players for the Lions' fifth game of their tour in Dunedin on Saturday, writes Gerry Thornley.
Otago would normally be renowned for their scrummaging strength. But this area of their game has been hit by the absence of their inspirational captain and hooker Anton Oliver, who had been earmarked to make a return in this game following his torn calf, tight-head Carl Hayman and the up-and-coming lock James Ryan. All three have been kept in camp by Graham Henry in readiness for the first Test in Christchurch the following week.
This game marks a first outing for the Otago provincial side for flanker Craig Newby and outhalf Nicky Evans, both of whom have moved from North Harbour after signals that they weren't going to make a breakthrough with the Auckland Blues, and both of whom played in the recent All Blacks' trial before just missing the cut for the 26-man Test squad.
OTAGO (v Lions, Carisbrook, Saturday, kick-off 7.10pm local time, 8.10am Irish): G Horton; H Pedersen, N Brew, S Mapusua, M Saunders; N Evans, D Lee; C Hoeft, J Macdonald, C Dunlea, F Levi, T Donnelly, C Newby (capt), J Blackie, G Webb. Replacements: J Vercoe, J Aldworth, A McClintock, A Soakai, C Smylie, R Bambry, J Shoemark.
